This invention relates to metal-containing instruments and/or cards and to methods of making the same.
For the most part, cards, such as transaction cards, are generally made from thermoplastic materials, such as polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and polyethylene terephthalate (PET). However, these transaction cards are susceptible to being damaged or destroyed if exposed to harsh environments. For example, transaction cards left exposed to moisture and sunlight may become warped, cracked and unusable. In addition, thermoplastic transaction cards may be easily bent or may be broken or cut, thereby damaging the transaction card and rendering it unusable.
Accordingly, it has been proposed to make a card or instrument which contains at least a layer of metal (referred to herein as a “metal card”) to impart both strength and durability to the card and so it can withstand exposure to the elements, such as moisture or sunlight. These cards (or instruments) may have at least one layer of metal or be made entirely of metal and may include the security and other useful features of known plastic cards, e.g., a magnetic stripe, an embedded microchip, a signature panel, a holographic image, or any other feature normally contained on or within a transaction card or instrument.
The use and manufacture of metal transaction cards for the reasons stated above and for differentiating the source of the card (e.g., to impart special status) has been known for many years. Initially, these metal cards were generally made of aluminum and were embossed, though they did not include a magnetic stripe or a micro-chip or signature panel. Softer and lighter materials such as aluminum were used; but these metals typically have a problem of taking a permanent “set” when bent for any reason (e.g., due to being carried in a wallet or pocket) and do not have significant stiffness and spring back.
Recent developments include the making of metal cards using solid titanium (or of layers of titanium) with a magnetic stripe and/or embedded micro-chip and/or signature panel. However, titanium and most metals are relatively hard and stiff compared with plastic. Embossing a solid and very stiff material, presents a severe problem to standard financial card embossing equipment, as compared to a plastic.
A proposed solution to the problem is suggested in U.S. Pat. No. 7,494,057, The suggestion includes cutting out a pocket within the metal for enabling the embossing of a thinner cut out region. This is a costly step and still requires the embossing of a hard, although thinner, surface which may cause excessive wear and tear and breakdown of standard machines. Also, power requirements for embossing solid metal (other than aluminum, or metals which are soft like aluminum) are very high causing excessive wear and tear on standard machines.
These problems are overcome in the manufacture of “metal” cards which are treated and readied, in accordance with the invention, for subsequent embossment.